Walk
by Serena Sparks
Summary: A short character study-esq story involving Loki/Sigyn


Hello! This is my first story under this pen name. This story is a bit awkwardly set up and rushed, I know, but it was birthed of a character study I did for Loki in my Comics as Literature class this past spring. I had to remove all of the weird comic book terminology and analysis and add a bit of drama.

The title of this song comes from 'Walk' by the Foo Fighters. It's part of the summer playlist I mention in my profile. For the complete set of my Marvel-inspired track listing, check there. This is a oneshot and a bit of an ice breaker.

_"I'm learning to walk again. I think I've waited long enough. Where do I begin?" _Foo Fighters, "Walk"

Loki's stride did not falter as he walked the halls of the All Father's Keep, despite his preoccupation. Heart in turmoil, mind a hazy mess, Loki walked as though he was not even present. His body acted as an automaton, powerfully striding forward without the presence of a mind to control it. To say he was distracted and conflicted was an understatement.

The malice that had seeped its way into his heart and gradually poisoned his every calculation and action had almost destroyed the Loki that his friends and family knew and loved. Green, the color of envy, befit none better than Loki. He tried to deny it, to employ his mighty logic to explain it away and convince himself to find other options than hatred, but his blood boiled with it. It had seeped into his every pore and invaded every moment of consciousness. Playful tricks turned malicious; no matter what Sigyn did to soothe the hatred that had begun to eat away at his heart, he could not shake it.

Loki's steps finally faltered when he thought of his wife, still in their bed. She slept restlessly and Loki knew the cause of her insomnia was concern for him. At night, she would awake with a start in a cold sweat. When he enquired as to the nature of the nightmare, she would smile a smile that did not quite reach her eyes and whisper a soft 'Nothing' in response. He sometimes awoke to the quite sound of her crying. Guilt, another familiar feeling of late, permeated his erratic thoughts. '_What of Sigyn?'_ The tiny, unblemished part of his heart screamed. His hands gripped his hair and slid through it roughly. It was completely disheveled at this point, breaking free of its customary slickness and falling across his high forehead. Intellect was a curse and a gift; he relished in his mastery of magic, but loathed the constant malice that saturated his every thought. His cynicism and malice was pushing him further away from his family, and more importantly, Sigyn.

And it was his magic that led Loki to know what Sigyn did not; she was carrying his child. His aura had brushed hers and picked up on the change. This drove him further away from the woman he loved and he knew it hurt and confused her greatly. He did not want to burden her with both a child and a husband who had barely (and temporarily) regained his footing on the slippery slope to madness his anger and jealously had left him.

He looked to his skin and its snow-like pallor. Sigyn knew he was a Changling, a half-breed Frost Giant, and she had brushed off the news with a chaste kiss. Yet he still considered leaving them, for their own safety and happiness. A small part of his consciousness sneered.

'_Like father, like son.'_

At the thought, an unusual sensation of violence overcame him. Magic caused the air to crack and pop, his hair was charred by the sheer force of it. With a rare slip of self control, he turned from his view on the balcony and hurled a ball of molten matter at the nearest wall.

'_Perhaps more like Thor…' _his conscious snickered.

He stood heaving, chest rising and falling rapidly. Looking at the large hole in the wall, which his outburst had birthed, he fell to his knees with a strangled sob. Shaking hands covered his weeping face. Emotions crossed him at light-speed: from guilt, to greed, to anger, to jealousy, to hatred. While he heaved on the floor, Sigyn had appeared behind him and placed an elegant hand upon his shoulder. He had never intended she share his burden. The stress and pain was his alone to bear and until this moment he had never shown any of it near her.

She removed his helmet and set it to the side. With a wave of her hand, the hole in the wall disappeared. She knelt behind her husband and placed both hands on his shoulders and leaned her head against his neck affectionately. His hands reached for hers and clasped them tightly as he pulled her around before him. He was a fool to think she had not noticed.

Her Sight was a true gift. Even with his extraordinary prowess for magic, his shield was not always perfect. Add to this the strength of the Bond they shared and she felt most of his tumultuous emotions whether he wished her to or not. Their roles reversed, Sigyn cupped his cheeks and brushed at the stray tear that fell. His hands clasped hers as his eyes finally lifted to hers.

"Do you think me mad?" he asked. This kind of vulnerability from Loki was rare. Sigyn had never seen him weep or expose himself so openly. His eyes had never looked clearer to her and his signature smirk was nowhere to be found. Tightly pursed lips gave way to slightly parted and quivering ones.

"No, Loki," Sigyn comforted, though she was not entirely sure of her husband's sanity herself. Her eyes twinkled a bit. "I love you."

Loki's eyes widened at the words. They were not a particularly affectionate pair and this statement had only graced her lips a handful of times in their near century together. His mind raced with the words. Did he love her? His heart and mind were so full of hatred and jealousy that he was not sure. Unsure of what to do, he dropped the shield he had placed on his heart further. Her eyes widened as all of his emotions flooded her. After a moment of painful doubt, she felt it. A ghost of a smile graced her lips and Loki's heart jumped to his throat. She was beautiful, especially when she smiled.

The echoes of "monster", which before had so completely permeated his being, began to fade. His focus was momentarily pulled from his mother and father, and Thor, to the beautiful Seer before him. The hatred ebbed. Sigyn knew as well as Loki that it would return, but they each longed to enjoy this reprieve.

She drew his face nearer to hers with a gentle tug and pressed her warm lips to his cool ones. He responded by placing a hand on the back of her neck against her golden-auburn hair, and pulling her deeper in. His earlier emotions began to ebb and he felt sanity and peace returning to his heart and mind. He sighed into the kiss. Pulling away, his emerald eyes met her silver eyes intensely. He would never tire of the sparkling deep silver orbs gazing doe-eyed into his.

"You are with child," he told her. He scanned her eyes for a reaction, but her silver gaze was impossible to interpret. She leaned backwards and blinked rapidly. She looked to her hands, now folded demurely in her lap. After a painful moment of silence, she looked up to Loki and smiled.

Loki stood and offered his lady his hand. She accepted it, and as he helped her up, he pulled her body against his. Surprised by the playfully affectionate gesture, Sigyn gasped. She looked up to question Loki and was met by the customary mirth shining in the emerald depths. With a smile, she walked beside her husband back to their chambers. Another rarity from Loki, his cool hand grasped hers lightly.

It was not perfect, but it was a start.


End file.
